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It’s A Brand New World, It’s Mobile And Is Your Organization Ready?
Just a few years ago people were feeling a sense of urgency to get a very basic web presence up and running. Now companies that panicked in creating that very basic website now have bigger issues if they have not moved beyond updating that website.
Organizations not only have to keep up with all of the changes with web creation vs content management systems, they now have to integrate mobile into the mix. With the integration of mobile platforms, organizations must be able to adapt marketing strategies for mobile while keeping up with the many changes that go along with those platforms.
It is a brand new world, that world is fast moving, powerful and can literally fit in your pocket. We are living in a world driven by mobile technology and users that need to have an ongoing source of information all the time and at their fingertips drive this. This is GREAT for people like me that are driven by technology, that have embraced this super quick moving technology but for businesses it can be tough keeping up. Especially if your organization is NOT technology focused.
So, not only do organizations have to adapt to mobile technology they MUST see that the dynamic that pushed the change are the people that are utilizing these technologies. PEOPLE are the driving force behind the change, they consume information differently, and they NEED to have information at their fingertips. So since organization MUST adapt their business strategy to incorporate mobile technology they must also understand that people have also changed. This understanding will help in visualizing the future sales and marketing strategies of their organizations.
At one time people were fine with consuming content by way of traditional sources such as newspapers, radio, television and other printed materials. NOW there’s a wave of people that have limited interest in those forms of media. These are the people that are driving the super quick change and this is a huge demographic that organizations must adapt their content for and recognize that these people are the population that are driving the change.
Mobile technologies are growing at a quicker rate than any technology in history. Take a look at the infographic below to give you the what, when, how and why of this growth and what you need to do to adapt your organizational structure to capitalize from this growth.
Infographic Source: InternetService.net
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Digital Marketing: Targeting Your Audience [Infographic]
Digital Marketing will be used to some degree for practically every marketing campaign moving forward. Whether we go with a campaign that includes video, slides or social media channels, digital marketing now is a huge aspect of marketing now. One of the most important things we can do when deciding which digital marketing channel that we utilize is deciding which platform(s) may target our audience best. This is becoming increasingly more important with so many digital marketing channels available now.
If we want to be successful in our Digital Market campaigns it is very important to stay abreast of all of the channels but also to be aware that all channels do not fit the needs of all audiences. For instance Pinterest is primary geared toward a female demographic so if we are marketing services that are geared mostly toward men, this may not be the ideal platform to use.
Take a look at the Infographic below to give you an idea of HOW to target the proper digital marketing channel for your target audience.
Digital Marketing: Targeting Your Audience
Please Include Attribution to InternetServiceProviders.org With This Graphic
Public Shaming In Social Media: Is It A Form Of Bullying?
Social media and its uses have grown substantially in the past few years. Most people log in to social media channels several times per day and some just log on and never log off. I’m not admitting to this but I’ve HEARD that it happens. :-) Social Media has become so huge, as a source of information that news breaks on Facebook sometimes, quicker than traditional news media channels. I was literally watching breaking news live on TV and news still broke on Facebook and Twitter at least 5 minutes or so before traditional media. That is astounding and quite frankly still surprising, in a very cool way of course.
Social media has a variety of uses, it is a great way to catch up with old friends, meet new friends, extend your network and make business connections. It is also a great way to get involved with social good ventures and this is one of the most wonderful things about social media. I’ve found that social media has been for the most part good and this is primarily due to the circle of friends in my network. I’ve met so many people that have hearts of gold that it allows me to believe that there are still lots of amazing people in the world. We all need proof of good in a world, when we all see so many bad things.
I believe that social media is still primarily good because I am surrounded by so many amazing people that are involved with social good projects that really have helped so many people. These people throw themselves into causes selflessly and quite often. So much so, that I am in awe about the power of social media and how it can and is being used for great causes. With so many good things happening I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that sometimes good can be offset by some things that are not so good. One of the not so good things that have reared its ugly head is the growing trend of public shaming.
A few years ago I noticed an incident of public shaming in social media, which escalated into something quite ugly. There was a situation in which a few people felt as if another person was spamming. I cannot definitely say if the incident was true or false but I do remember that the entire situation was extremely ugly and brought out a lot of meanness in a lot of people involved. Everyone is very entitled to his or her views but what escalated this issue was how so many people jumped on the bandwagon and formed a Salem Witch Trial sort of hate mongering mob campaign against this one person. Ok, say if this person was in fact guilty of spamming, which is not a great thing but why would that person be deserving of the mob of people that went after him as if he were an abuser of animals or something equally heinous. What is most disturbing about this is the mob mentality and the willingness of people to jump in the fray for negative actions against another without finding out any details. At the time of this incident I believed it to be an isolated incident and proceeded to push it to the back of my mind in hopes that I would never witness a repeat of such unnecessary nastiness. Unfortunately this was not an isolated incident.
I’ve noticed a surge in these online behaviors starting with a restaurant and others resorting to public shaming. I also noticed a repeat in how quick others jump on the bandwagon of negativity, even when some don’t even seem to understand why they are doing so. There seems to be a new wave of people, organizations and restaurants that have resorted to public shaming for a variety of reasons.
I am not claiming that I have never taken a shot at an organization with less than desirable customer service utilizing online channels. I admit that I had a very open online divorce from Comcast, so maybe I am just as guilty as others. Although I have never gone after in individual with the goal of publically shaming them, I have had negative online dialogue about a company or two. Maybe they were wrong or maybe not but I think that I should now analyze and revaluate how I handle things. This realization is prompted by how ashamed I am of the behaviors that I have witnessed lately.
When we utilize an online platform as a means of public shaming, is that NOT a form of bullying? Could there possibly be a better way to make a point or let your displeasure with another be known? Is ruining a person’s reputation and possibly shaming them publicly the best route to take? Are we at the point that when we feel wronged that we are justified somehow by automatically jump on social media as a means to, not only voice our displeasure but round up the troops of our followers to jump on our bandwagon as well, in a lynch mob fashion?
Maybe we should ALL revaluate our usages of social media. How about we bring the human element back into social by reaching out to have a conversation [privately] with someone that we feel has wronged us instead of rounding up our loyal followers and creating a lynch mob. It needed to be said….
I will start with addressing my online behaviors….
That guy just posted some stuff to #Facebook, He’s obviously an EXPERT. I’ll hire him said no company ever!
I often have conversations about Digital Marketing and how things have changed. We have gone from focusing on Social Media and toward focusing on Digital Marketing all within a year. Although there has been a transition in dialogue and definitely a shift in consciousness, one thing that has not shifted is the degree of people claiming to be experts.
I’ve had a number of people say, “ I am a F-ing Expert.” Oh, I’m sorry seriously? I wonder if these people realize that I’ve been following them on a variety of social media channels AND I have a permanent echo in my mind of some of the dumbazz questions that I’ve seen in their feed. So, um yeah you post some stuff to your Facebook page but a Digital Marketer, that does not make you.
We have really reached the age in technology that companies are searching for more than a person that can post a few cute animal photos to their Facebook feed. I have always said that Digital Marketing is about way more than just posting content to Facebook. The social media aspect of digital marketing is about posting content that reaches out to touch readers/views and engages them enough for them to respond and share. This is of course all WITHOUT tagging 200 friends with the highest Klout score.
Not only do the peers of the so called experts KNOW that these people are no such thing, so do employers looking for talent in the Digital Marketing space. It’s NOT enough to post some stuff to Facebook, you must be on your game now that capabilities in this space is high. The first indication that a person is NOT on their game is those that claim the loudest about their expertise in an industry are usually the ones that aren’t. How can you be an expert in a field that is growing at super quick speed? The people that are dominating this space are those that quietly go about their way doing their thing while continuing to learn their craft.
It is not even a question about companies diving into this space; it is a must if they want to stay in business. Guess what, if you really think that claiming that you are an expert is going to be enough, good luck with that.
I read a statistic that said 90% of content consumed occurs in front of a screen. This means that most of the content that is being read, which has to be created by someone will probably be created by someone in the Digital Marketing space.
A huge part of being a Digital Marketer is creating engaging, relevant shareable content NOT just posting some crap on Facebook. Although the creation of this content is very important, there are so many more things that define what digital marketing is all about. Those that GET THIS, will be the ones that will be in demand in this space.
Right now we are at a pivotal moment in history and in the growth of this industry and it’s the ultimate Shit Got Real moment. NOW is a time when the Marketers that are so in demand move to the top of the pack and the chest beating, “Im a F-ing expert” Gurus fade to black.
If you want to compete in this space it’s time to start doing and stop yapping. Some of the in-demand skills are any combination of the following:
- Social Media Marketing
- Social Media Optimization
- Search Engine Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization
- Content Management Systems
- Web Analytics
- Customer Relationship Management
- Web Usability
- Mobile Web
- Mobile Marketing
- Direct Response Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Content Optimization
- Product Marketing
- Branding
- Marketing Agency Experience
- Project Management
- Video Editing/Creation
- Video Marketing
- Social Media Analytics and more
This list includes just some of the expectations of a Digital Marketer that I’ve read about. So needless to say you MUST be on your A Game, beyond just posting stuff on Facebook and boasting about your perception of your own expertise.
Hiring within this Digital Marketing Space is at an all time high and I expect that it will be continuing it’s upward growth. This growth is primarily due to the opinion that traditional marketing is failing in the area of producing tangible results. There was a huge report conducted by The Harvard Business Review, which states that CEO ‘s are tired of traditional marketing that lack results. This opinion is probably a huge factor in the growth of the Digital Marketing Industry. Take a look at the graphic below to display the growth in this field.
![[Source: WANTED Analytics] Digital Marketing Employment Growth](http://anisesmithmarketing.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/digital-marketing-employment-growth.jpg?w=500&h=131)
[Source: WANTED Analytics] Digital Marketing Employment Growth
So if you are on your game in this digital marketing space, you are holding a winning hand right now. Take a look at the areas in which companies expect to place organizational focus in the graphic below.
Digital Growth Areas 2013
If you are NOT holding a winning hand in some of these area, brush up on your skills, stop bragging and get on your game. Because really no one wants to hear about what a rock star, guru, maven what-ever-the-hell you are calling yourself this week, especially if your game AIN’T TIGHT.
As usual, I welcome comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. I can be reached by Facebook, Google+ or Twitter. I’m pretty sure the GURU’s will be the first to comment.
If You WANT To Be A Chief Digital Officer You’d Better Start Preparing NOW
It seems that the role of digital marketing is having an even bigger impact on the organizational structure than anyone had thought it would. At one time the only player in the technology driven workspace was the IT Department. They WERE the GODS of the workplace, the organizational powers that be, the Oz of all things with a technology function.
Well, times are a changin’ and those changing times are directly connected to super quick growth of digital marketing. As we continue to venture into the digital space more and more, it is realized that the IT space is very different than the Digital Marketing space. The traditional IT departments’ focus has been on supplying information and technology resources, updating software, infrastructure, viruses, onsite servers and more. These functions are very different than what is required within the ever-changing digital marketing space. Digital Marketers although technology focused have a different function and that’s to adapt business processes from traditional to digital. The function of Digital Marketers are geared toward but not limited to Social Media Optimization, Big Data, Content Management, Digital communications, Social Engagement and more.
This space is growing, as is the demand for employees in this Digital Marketing space. It’s not just about having a great website anymore, that was so last decade. Now businesses are scrambling to adapt to changes in consumer behavior. If you know anything about business, you know that losing touch with consumer behavior could be equivalent to digging a grave for your organization. At one time, consumers read circulars and clipped coupons. Now, consumers use their ipads, mobile devices and QR code scanners to compare pricing and grab deals. Organizations must have a sense of urgency if they plan to keep up with these changes in consumer behaviors. Quite simply they must adapt or die.
Organizations are now aggressively trying to catch up and keep up. They must now be on top of mobile, social, local, visual in ADDITION to web. Lets not even discuss what new technology is looming just seconds away from being the NEXT BIG thing. The ability to adapt is huge for any organization! This is where the need for a Chief Digital Officer would come in. So, now is the time to jump into this space if you have not done so already.
Roles such as Chief Digital Officer will be an integral part of any organization and they will play a huge role in the very structure of the organization as it moves from traditional to digital. These Digital Marketing pioneers will be responsible for moving the company’s entire digital presence to another level, from initial digital project development and beyond. There will be a need to tackle ecommerce, online marketing and social media and transformation of analog to digital media. So this field is huge and growing faster than anyone ever imagined, I’m sure.
According to a study, it is predicted that 25% of businesses will have created and filled the position of Chief Digital Officer by 2015. That is just two years away, so I suggest you dive into the digital marketing space right now if you have not done so already.
If you are in anyway dabbling, working and/or educating yourself about Digital Marketing Technologies you may find yourself on the receiving end of aggressive pursuit because the supply has yet to catch up with the demand for those with this knowledge.
Take a look at the slideshow below to give you an idea of some trends that have been instrumental in directing us toward this path of no return.
In closing I say, we are living through a historical time when everything is transforming before our eyes. NOW is the time to be apart of history making events that will be as pivotal as the 1st automobile, the invention of electricity and/or the 1st color tv. I recommend anyone that has even the smallest interest in digital marketing dive right in……. the waters warm.
As usual, I welcome comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. You can catch me on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ ! Cheers!
#Yahoo: One Small Step Back Or One Large Leap Toward Jumping The Shark [Infographic & Video]
We are living in a quick-moving digital world with companies that are technology focused running to keep up with the growth. As Digital Marketers we see how fast things are moving and we recognize the players in the technology game, those that are not even in the game and those that are struggling to keep up.
Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google are huge innovators and players in the growth of different forms of technology. We will not mention Bing because although Microsoft spawned this mess called Bing we won’t hold it against them, ONLY because they have extremely cool Bing commercials. That brings us to one of the other wannabe players in the game and that’s Yahoo. They may have been a player in the game, back in the days of Infoseek, Askjeeves and Looksmart but they have never really been on the grid with the real innovators in this technology game. I think one of the things that separates the companies that are innovators from those that just never seem to catch up are the employees that drive these companies.
Most companies are only as good as the team that drive them and the innovative companies like Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google ALL have top caliber employees. These companies have the vision to hire the best of the best because employees represent their brand. Innovative companies are expected to have the best! Companies that are not technology focused usually fall short of employing the best of the best because they usually don’t have the same resources as the tech giants. So we tend to excuse their lack of technology focused employees and forward thinking vision.
Organizations that present themselves as technology focused like Yahoo is not one of the types of companies that we should excuse for the choices that they’ve recently made. When companies that are not known to be innovative are embracing that technology has changed the traditional working onsite dynamic, Yahoo decides to take a step back with their descision to take away the work at home option from their employees.
Cloud computing, laptops, tablets, mobile devices, high speed Internet and most importantly a global world has made the cubed office for technology companies like Yahoo an option not a neccesity. Or I should say HAD made it an option until Yahoo Turned Back the Hands of Time ” Cue in Cher’s Song” Hit play below.
I digressed seriously, my bad. The point is that Yahoo has taken a HUGE step back when other companies are moving forward. Yahoo has always struggled to be at the head of the pack as far as innovation is concerned but now they have gone beyond a step back, they have jumped the shark.
I’m pretty sure that Yahoo has a huge staff of innovative and creative employees that are reeling. I am also quite sure that there are lots of companies circling like vultures to pick up the pieces of the employees that can no longer work from home. I see the vultures circling the Yahoo headquarters now, in hopes of grabbing some new blood for their employment pool! If I were a huge company in need of a few good men or women, I would be camped out at Yahoo headquarters like a techie for a new iPad.
Hey Yahoo, take a look at the Infographic Below….and Oh Yeah Watch out for that shark.
Hey Yahoo Watch Out For That Shark!
Augmented Reality Business Cards Taking Your Business To The Next Level
We all know that technology has changed our daily lives and how we do business. Some companies are really up on their game and embracing these changes and some are not. The companies that are on their game and truly embracing technology will really utilize new technology to propel their marketing efforts to the from of the pack, moving beyond their competitors.
Digital marketing has really transformed how we do practically everything; I would say that there is not a single industry that has NOT been affected by the growth of digital media.
One of the biggest changes that we’ve made in the past few years is how we consume media. We’ve gone from a traditional print world to a world that has a very digital focus. We have gone beyond just computer use to tablets and mobile and this growth is a total game changer.
Traditional marketing strategies are now being utilized in conjunction with digital marketing strategies to take marketing to a new level. One of the coolest displays of this is Augmented Reality Business cards, this technology blurs the world between what is real and what is computer generated. This allows you to put a really cool spin on your traditional old business card.
Take a look at augmented reality is allowing you to add a new dimension to business cards in the videos below
Let’s just for one second think about how HUGE Augmented Reality could be and realize that this could be an avenue in which to serve up the ultimate business pitch to that client that you’ve been trying to reel in, it could allow you to push your company capabilities to ANYONE that has your business card. Augmented Reality literally allows traditional media to become digital and that is HUGE for the future of marketing!
What are your thoughts? Do you see Augmented Reality in the future of your Digital Marketing Mix? As usual, I welcome thoughts or comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. You can find me on Twitter, Facebook or Google+
5 Platforms That Will Help With Time Management And Balancing Your Workflow in 2013
As platforms are introduced to the digital marketing space we continue to be spread thin in trying to embrace them all. At a certain point, as Digital Marketers we must really look at the amount of time we are spending on platforms. Then we should decide which ones we need to keep, make priority and decide which ones we might need to reevaluate.
It’s not as if we are discarding platforms but more like be realistic and making a conscious choice to stop spreading ourselves thin. This is exactly what can happen if we continue try to embrace every new platform that presents itself in this ever-increasing digital marketing space.
I wrote a blog post about the 13 Digital Marketing Platforms That We Must Embrace in 2013 and I am a firm believer in embracing those 13 platforms successfully and minimizing my interaction with some others. I am not going to eliminate them just reevaluate how much time I need to spend on them and utilize platforms which help to manage time more effectively.
A few really essential platforms that help me to manage my time more effectively is as follows:
This option is by far one of the BEST things that Facebook accomplished in all of 2012. Not only was it a great addition, but it also allowed people to explore a FREE option of scheduling posts. This allows me to exercise my life’s philosophy of “If It’s FREE, it’s For Me!” I love Facebook schedule posts, I utilize this often because I manage more than a dozen Facebook pages and this is a GREAT time saver!
This continues to be a GREAT option for scheduling social media posts! Buffer has continued to improve by adding analytics and additional social media channels that can be utilize through this platform. One of the things that I really love about buffer are that the toolbar and WordPress sharing plugin that allows you to add posts to your Buffer schedule at any point in your online travels. So this continues to be a GREAT platform whether you go with free posting or expand into the extended options offered if you decide to upgrade. If you go with the upgraded options you will have the ability to add unlimited posts and share to up to 12 social media platforms. Whichever option you chose Buffer should be a part of your digital marketing time management strategy.
I have been using Laterbro for quite a while and I cannot say enough about this platform. Although not as popular as some of the other scheduling tools, Laterbro is still a winner. It is FREE and allows you to schedule content to Facebook and multiple Twitter accounts. If you have not had a chance to give Laterbro a run, you should make a point to do so.
I am a HUGE fan of Triberr and I can never say enough about this amazing platform. Triberr is a platform that allows you to team up with other people in tribes to share content through Twitter and other social media channels. One of the things that I really LOVE about Triberr is that it allows you to determine how you’d like the schedule sharing the posts of your tribemates. You can share in15-minute increments or up to 24-hour increments. Although not officially a scheduling platform, Triberr allows you to schedule information of your tribemates with your content to create a very nice flow of content through your Twitter feed.
If you are using a self-hosted WordPress platform for your blog take a look at the plugin Tweet Old Post. This allows you to share some of your WordPress blog posts through your Twitter feed automatically using this plugin.
So, lets start 2013 off right with the right social media platforms, making 2013 a happier year, saving more money in 2013, and NOW effective time management ! Lets get excited about 2013!!!
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Social Media Gurus -vs- Digital Marketers: Gurus Your Days Are Numbered!
It has been a few years now of companies venturing into the social media marketing space by way of different online channels. The past few years have been a huge transition by individuals and companies from utilizing traditional marketing almost exclusively, to venturing into the online marketing space. This transition has been filled with growing pains i’m sure and although the transition has not been seamless, it is progressing.
At one time It seemed as if companies just didn’t get it, that they really didn’t understand the importance of the online presence. The transition from what was once was exlusively traditional marketing to mostly digital and now a bit of a fusion between the two is lending itself to a willingness by organizations, to embrace this new era of marketing.
Two years ago there was a huge avenue for people to present themselves as SOCIAL MEDIA GURUS to the unsuspecting organization that felt a bit of urgency to run head first into the online marketing space. Now that some have done that and are experiencing it, they are now realizing that working with a Social Media Guru is just not enough. This is primarily because it’s NOT just about social media, it is about Digital Marketing which is a much more diverse combination of Internet strategies. Exclusively utilizing JUST social media is like using only print catalogs in traditional marketing, it is just NOT enough. This is the same philosophy that has to be embraced when thinking of Digital Marketing, utilizing JUST social media is just not enough.
At one time it was ok to utilize some traditional marketing and have a website. Now a fusion of those strategies mixed with social media is making way for the Digital Marketer, which utilizes a combination of these strategies and more to create a total online /offline fusion that will move brands beyond the single dimension of just traditional marketing or just social media.
In 2013 the Digital Marketer will be more in demand that ever, because progressive companies have realized the importance of having marketers that skill sets embrace all digital strategies not just certain aspects of an online presence. Some tradition web design purist haven’t embraced social media integration and are stuck in what they have learned in a traditional sense. Additionally some social media gurus have not moved past just posting information to social media channels. However, there are some web designers and social media marketers that HAVE embraced both and those are the Digital Marketer that will be in demand in 2013 and beyond.
Ultimately the goal as a Digital Marketer is to bring value to your clients, customers and employers. This will not be done by any of the following:
- Tagging 100+ people on Facebook everyday to boost your Klout score. Your employer, client and or potential client/employer probably could give a rats you know what about your score. Most employers or clients don’t even know what Klout is or what is involved with the scoring process. Do you even know?
- Connecting to random influencers and NOT becoming an influencer yourself. Your influencer is an influencer for a reason. You will make out better trying to analyze what they are doing right and emulate them.
- Posting 1000 pictures every day of random things. Although these photos may be beautiful, if this is ALL you do, how can that contribute to the value of your potential employer, client or customer? Or put you in a position to gain customers, clients or find employment in the Digital Marketing Space?
The goal in this increasingly savvy digital marketing space, should be to provide services of value to potential and current employers and clients to increase their brand exposure, place them in a position to interact with THEIR current clients/potential clients and increase their chances of increasing revenue. This will involve YOU doing NONE of the above bulleted points but WILL involve you creating custom strategies for potential employers and clients in which to accomplish these goals. The lack of ability to do this WILL separate the Gurus from the Digital Marketers, that are really on their game.
As we move forward in the Digital Marketing space we have to be willing to continue to grow and embrace new technologies that provide added value to clients, potential clients and employers. It has been an amazing few years in this space that is continuing to grow at an amazing rate of speed. 2013 will be the the year of many exciting changes to the people that are on their Digital Marketing game and challenges to those that are not on their game. Either way, get ready because I have a feeling its going to be a helluva ride!
If you have comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent I can be contacted by subscribing to my Facebook public updates or finding me on Twitter! I shall see you soon, I’m sure!
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This Is Your BRAIN On Social Media [Infographic]
Last weekend I was having a bit of a technical issue with my router and it’s failure to communicate effectively with my modem. This created a HUGE issue with my need to communicate by way of social media. Not that I was having a social media withdrawal issue or anything.
I really think that we have grown so accustomed to tuning in to social media because it allows us to gain access to so many things that are going on. We tune in to find out what’s going on with our friends, the latest news and everything that is going on in the world. Social Media has literally become our one stop shop news source. So it is understandable the it has become very valuable to most. With that said, it seems that social media has become a bit of an addiction for many. I’m still not admitting that I have an issue or anything ONLY saying that I understand. 
However, take a look at the infographic below which displays how many other people may be having a social media issues.
Please Include Attribution to OnlineCollegeCourses.com With This Graphic 
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